Wednesday, October 7, 2015

All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder

Emerson and Vince are walking through the streets of Portland and it's pretty quiet...not a lot of traffic, not a lot of businesses open, very few people out. It's been this way for awhile because everyone is spending time with their loved ones. You see, in 28 hours, a meteor will hit the United States and those who survive will be few and far between.

Emerson and Vince just have each other. They've been living on the streets and there is no one closer than each other. With not much time left, both of them have made a pact to see the end of their world on their own terms, and with this in mind, they go to that jumping point in the city....and it's there that will change their lives.

Carl is standing on the bridge Emerson and Vince go to, and he saves their lives. He tells the story of how he met someone who made a wish come true for him. In turn, Carl is to pay it forward to five people, and Emerson and Vince will make his fifth wish happen. When asked what they want, both of them reply with the only thing they've never really had an abundance of - money. Carl gives him his wallet filled with money and has only one request...pay it forward. People will be easy to find, you just have to look and see which ones have wishes or regrets and make them happen.

Emerson and Vince don't know what he's talking about until they meet people along the way as they make their way through town. Until they see the one person who always wanted to go to Paris...and they make it happen for her. They take two little girls home, but also take them on an adventure through a fairy tale. And slowly, their friendship begins to change from that of friendship to one on a deeper level.

Emerson has a regret she's not sharing with Vince...the one that makes her want to go home one last time. She knows if she tells him, he'll want to change the regret into reality, but it's so hard to go back after what she's been through...and it's too late, isn't it?

Part novel in verse, part prose, Schroeder is the weaver to lives. Although many of the people Vince and Emerson meet are strangers, there is an invisible string that will weave their stories into one. It's a story about what people do knowing their living their last days, but more than that, it's about the impact relationships have on one another, especially when viewed through different perspectives, even if it's the same situation. Excellent quick read for high school! Link to book trailer